The caretaker federal government has begun the process of repatriating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Moonis Elahi from Spain, where he has reportedly resided since December 2022 to escape “political persecution” in home country. According to federal government sources, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has requested that the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issue a red notice for the PTI leader’s …

BEIJING: China’s expressway mileage under operation had reached 177,000 km by the end of 2022, and China remains the country with the longest expressway mileage in the world, the Ministry of Transport said on Thursday. By the end of 2022, China’s total highway mileage had reached 5.35 million km, an increase of 1.12 million km in the space of 10 …

NANJING: Ding Li, a Chinese policeman on a mission against cultural relic crimes, demonstrates the powerful outcome when passion meets profession. At 50, Ding, an ardent archaeology enthusiast, has unraveled more than 260 cases, apprehended 230 suspects involved in tomb robbery and illegal cultural relic trade, and reclaimed over 13,000 artifacts in just three years. “The cultural relics retrieved by …

MADRID: World number one Novak Djokovic said on Wednesday that he wants to end the season by leading Serbia to the Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain. Djokovic flew to Malaga after winning the ATP Finals in Turin and said he was looking for “one last push” before a well-earned rest. “It’s the last week of the season. I’m really looking …

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia: Located in southwest Cambodia, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ), a joint venture between Chinese and Cambodian companies, has not only positively impacted on local people’s lives, but also significantly contributed to the kingdom’s economic growth. A landmark project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the 11-sq-km special economic zone currently houses 175 factories from China, Europe, …

JALALABAD, Afghanistan: Zahidullah, a taxi driver living in east Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, used to drive for hours between the province’s capital Jalalabad and southern Khogyani district, but now, thanks to China’s help, a newly completed road has enabled the trip to be faster at lower cost. In particular, the road has saved the time for patients seeking medical help away …

INCHEON, South Korea: China and South Korea held here a ceremony on Thursday to transfer the remains and belongings of 25 Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950-1953 Korean War. The 10th handover ceremony was held at the Incheon International Airport, west of the capital Seoul, attended by Chinese Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs Chang Zhengguo, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea …

SHANGHAI: A record number of 68 oriental white storks were recently spotted in the Chongming Dongtan national nature reserve in Shanghai in east China, according to the reserve administration. During daily monitoring, staff at the reserve discovered the birds, a species under first-class state protection in China. Moreover, 276 Eurasian spoonbills, a species under second-class state protection in China, were …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter to the second Global Digital Trade Expo, which runs from Nov. 23 to 27 in Hangzhou, the capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province. Booming global digital trade has become a new bright spot in international trade, Xi said in the letter. In recent years, China has actively made alignment …

RIYADH: The economic growth of Qatar has normalized after the country’s strong fiscal performance in 2022, driven by the FIFA World Cup, according to the International Monetary Fund. In its consultation report released on Nov. 21, the IMF disclosed that Qatar’s economic outlook in the medium term seems favorable, with output expected to expand by about 1.75 percent per annum …

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reviewed photographs of major US military bases in Guam, received from the country’s first spy satellite in orbit, state media said Wednesday. Kim “watched the aerospace photos of Anderson Air Force Base, Apra Harbor and other major military bases of the US forces taken in the sky above Guam in the Pacific, …

ISTANBUL: President Tayyip Erdogan said he may travel to Egypt soon and discuss how to accelerate the evacuation of patients from Gaza and other steps, broadcaster Haberturk and other Turkish media reported on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters on his plane returning from a trip to Algeria, Erdogan was reported as saying the Islamic world must act in a spirit of …

Border trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan resumed on Wednesday after Islamabad repealed a new visa restriction for two more weeks. The movement of goods stopped earlier this week when Pakistan started demanding commercial vehicle drivers to carry passports and visas in order to enter. The Afghan government replied by refusing to allow any trucks to cross. Commerce Ministry officials met …

UN climate scientists have revealed sobering facts in its annual Emissions Gap Report, especially how global CO2 emissions pledges are faltering. The next six years will be critical for curbing global warming. As global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions smash records, UN climate scientists have warned current emissions pledges have the world on track to soar past temperature limits agreed …

Men and women have different life expectancies. The gap’s growing in the US and shrinking in Europe. But it exists in non-human animals, too. Why is that? Take a look around your average retirement home or advanced-age friend group and you’ll see a significant sex imbalance. Men are rare among the 85-and-overs. Common wisdom is that they die earlier than …

In a remarkable achievement that highlights the resilience and determination of women from all walks of life, a shepherdess from Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, Afroze-Numa, has been named among the BBC’s 100 inspiring and influential women for 2023. Afroze-Numa, one of the last Wakhi shepherdesses, has been tending to goats, yaks, and sheep for nearly three decades, continuing a centuries-old tradition …

The Punjab Excise Department has decided to eliminate the need for visiting its offices for the registration and transfer of motorcycles and cars. In an announcement on its social media handles, the department announced that it will soon be introducing another service. Citizens across Punjab will be able to register or transfer their vehicles from the comfort of their own …

The International Cricket Council (ICC) issued on Wednesday a new ranking of the players in ODI cricket. According to the development, India opener Shubman Gill has maintained the first spot in the batting in the ODI rankings with 826 points, followed by former Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who is in the second spot with 824 points. India top-order batter Virat …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday summoned interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on November 29 if 55 ‘missing’ Baloch students were not recovered by the next hearing. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani’s directives came as he heard a case concerning the implementation of the recommendations of the Baloch Enforced Disappearances Commission. Along with the caretaker prime minister, interim ministers …

A subcommittee of the federal cabinet on Wednesday recommended placing the names of Pakistan Tehreel-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and 27 others on the Exit Control List in connection with the £190 million case. The Ministry of Interior, in a post on X, said a meeting of the subcommittee was held today and it was attended by interim …

Federal Minister for Finance Dr Shamshad Akhtar on Tuesday reviewed the federal portfolio of projects funded by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. In her opening remarks at a meeting convened at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the minister underscored the critical role those projects were playing in Pakistan’s socioeconomic development, offering access to job markets and fostering …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday said peace in the region could not be guaranteed till the resolution of the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between Pakistan and India. ” Let me make it clear that there can be no peace without the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue,” he said in his address at the graduation …

CHICAGO: Some 700 Chinese, U.S. businessmen and officials gathering in downtown Chicago Monday called for collaboration between the two countries. China and the United States need to move in the same direction, and follow through on the important common understandings reached between the two countries’ presidents and translate the commitments into concrete policies and real actions, Chinese Ambassador to the …

BEIJING: China is making steady progress in the construction of its 5G network in an effort to propel the digital and intelligent transformation of its real economy. The country had built nearly 3.22 million 5G base stations by the end of October, accounting for 28.1 percent of all its mobile base stations, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information …

BEIJING: A museum showcasing the culture of the Grand Canal is expected to open in Beijing at the end of this year, with some 6,000 items or sets of exhibits related to Beijing and the ancient canal to be displayed in the collection. The Grand Canal Museum of Beijing, also called the Capital Museum East Branch, is located in the …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin in Beijing on Wednesday. Xi said that China and Russia, each other’s largest neighbors and both permanent members of the UN Security Council, share extensive common interests. “This year, President Putin and I had face-to-face in-depth exchanges twice and reached a lot of new consensus …

SHENZHEN: Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged efforts to nurture new growth drivers and gather new momentum in the human resources services sector for the building of a modern socialist country in all respects. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a recent …

The DP World International League T20 Season 2 tickets for all 34 matches the biggest cricket league in the Gulf region are now available online as well as on all 14 Virgin Megastore outlets across the UAE.  The tickets start at an affordable 20 dirhams for all General spectator stands at the Zayed Stadium Abu Dhabi, Dubai International Stadium and …

NANJING: China’s first high-temperature superconducting low-voltage direct current (DC) cable has been put into operation in east China’s Jiangsu Province, greatly reducing electricity line losses. The cable was built by the government of Wujiang District of Suzhou City, State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company, and Jiangsu Etern Co., Ltd., and has a length of 180 meters. The cable can greatly …

BRATISLAVA: The illustrators of Chinese children’s books remain among the most internationally awarded artists thanks to their consistent use of unique and traditional styles of artistic expression, Zuzana Jarosova told Xinhua in a recent interview. Jarosova, general commissioner of the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), said that “There is always the masterful craftsmanship, painting or drawing talent that the jury …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday attended the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, saying that the parties to the conflict must end hostilities and achieve a ceasefire immediately. Xi called on the parties to stop all violence and attacks against civilians, release civilians held captive, and act to prevent loss of more lives and spare people …

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The 14th Annual Vintage & Classic Car Show Rally, which commenced on Nov. 12 in Karachi, recently concluded in Balahisar Fort of northwest Pakistan’s Peshawar city. About 51 vintage cars featuring brands like Mercedes, Ford, Chevrolet, Buick, Mini, and Volkswagen graced the streets and enchanted the spectators with their elegant and sophisticated designs. People visit a vintage and …

YINCHUAN: In the absence of a professional setting and fill light, a mobile phone and a mobile phone holder are all that Du Zhanping can count on for his livestreaming efforts. Yet it was through this primitive set-up that the 46-year-old man in Xuanhe Township of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region managed to get a traditional felt making skill …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday addressed the extraordinary joint meeting of BRICS leaders and leaders of invited BRICS members on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza. The following is the full text of his remarks: Working Toward a Ceasefire and Realizing Lasting Peace and Sustainable Security Remarks by H.E. Xi Jinping President of …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday attended the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, saying it is imperative that the parties to the conflict must end hostilities and achieve a ceasefire immediately. Xi called on the parties to stop all violence and attacks against civilians, release civilians held captive, and act to prevent loss of more lives …

Pomegranate juice may help improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar levels. Pomegranates are a type of fruit that grow on deciduous shrubs or small trees. They have a round shape and a thick, leathery skin that is typically red or orange. Inside the fruit, there are numerous small, edible seeds called arils, which are surrounded by a juicy, sweet-tart …

Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui has found himself at the centre of controversy after a video surfaced of him posing for photographs with TikToker Kanwal Farooq and placing his hand on her back. Fans have expressed their disapproval of the actor’s actions, calling them inappropriate and unbecoming of a senior figure in the industry. The video in question shows Adnan Siddiqui …

Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal have been appointed as bowling coaches of the Pakistan cricket team. PCB took the decision to appoint former spinner Saeed Ajmal as the interim spin-bowling coach of the Pakistan team after matters were settled in the meeting. Saeed Ajmal will also work with the players in the Pakistan Test camp. He has represented Pakistan in …

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated a new campaign against Muslims in the Uttar Pradesh state of India that the party rules. A first information report (FIR) was registered on November 17, at the Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow against the halal certifying agencies. The FIR against the halal certificate was filed by Shailendra Kumar Sharma, a resident of …

Caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jillani addressing the floor of the Senate meeting said that Pakistan took up the issue of Azad Visa holder’s arrest with Saudi Arabia at a very high level. FM Jilani observed that several times those holding independent visas are arrested in Saudi Arabia. “The matter has also been raised with the Saudi Foreign Minister,” Jalil …